Book Review: Learn Drop Stitch Crochet

Can I tell you how excited I am to be in early on the latest crochet technique? I'm talking about drop stitch crochet, a relative of broomstick lace that is being pioneered by crochet guru Kim Guzman. Her new book, Learn Drop Stitch Crochet, due out October 1st, teaches the technique and features seven gorgeous patterns.

What is drop stitch crochet? It's a crochet technique in which the stitches are worked over a large knitting needle to stretch or "drop" the stitches to a taller height.

Now I know what you're thinking: "That's broomstick lace!" But I am here to tell you it's not! In fact, I dare say that drop stitch crochet is an improvement over broomstick lace due to the one key difference: a stitch is worked at the base of each drop stitch to secure the loop once it is transferred to the knitting needle.

That one stitch makes a world of difference! Now you can remove the knitting needle from the loops without fear of losing the loops. And you can work multiple drop stitches in the same stitch (unlike broomstick lace, in which you can only work one broomstick lace loop per stitch), which means you can do shell-type stitch patterns with this technique.

The above sample is just one of the stitch patterns covered in Kim Guzman's new book. See how multiple drop stitches are worked in a chain space? You just can't do that with broomstick lace without ending up with a mess of yarn. Drop stitch crochet combines the workability of regular crochet with the speed of broomstick lace, and I think anyone who is a fan of broomstick lace will love this new technique.

The book, Learn Drop Stitch Crochet, is due out October 1st, but keep your eyes peeled on Kim Guzman's YouTube channel for video tutorials on the technique for both right- and left-handed crocheters, due out this week.